Dispensing apparatus



Nov. 11, 1958 w. E. KRAMER ETAL 2,859,899

DISPENSING APPARATUS Filed Aug. v11, 1955 DISPENSIl\lG APPARATUS WilliamE. Kramer, Shaler Township, Allegheny County, and Nicholas Marusov, PennTownship, Allegheny County, Pa., assignors to Gulf Research &Development Company, Pittsburgh, Pa., a corporation of DelawareApplication August 11, 1955, Serial No. 527,848

7 Claims. (Cl. 222-95) This invention relates to apparatus fordispensing a fluid, particularly a plastic or viscous lluid such asgrease, tars, pamts, mayonnaise, etc.

The problem of effectively removing substantially all of a highlyviscous fluid such as grease from a drum has long been a troublesome oneto the art. While many solutions have been proposed none has provedentirely satisfactory. The present dispensing apparatus not only assuresthe substantially complete removal of a highly viscous fluid from thecontainer without contaminating the uid during such operation but inaddition completely eliminates the cleaning of the receptacle in whichthe uid may be transported.

Briefly, the present arrangement comprises a normally closed receptacleprovided with an opening in a wall thereof, a collapsible bag having anopening disposed in said receptacle, suction means communicating fromthe exterior of the receptacle through said opening of said bag and intothe interior of said bag, and means sealing said opening of said bag tosaid suction means.

The invention can be better understood from a consideration of thefollowing detailed description ytaken in connection with theaccompanying drawings which are hereby incorporated and made a part ofthe present disclosure.

Figure 1 is a vertical View, partly in section, of a dispensing devicein accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention.Figures 2 and 3 are vertical sectional views of means for sealing thecollapsible bags to the pump means. v

Referring to Figure l, reference numeral 2 denotes a rigid receptaclebody provided with a cover plate 4 and a bottom 6. Cover plate 4 isprovided with an air vent 8 permitting communication of the interior ofreceptacle 2 with the atmosphere.

Disposed within receptacle 2 is a collapsible bag 10, made of a suitablematerial such as synthetic rubber, polyethylene, a uorocarbon plastic,etc., and substantially impermeable to air and inert to the materialcontained therein, adapted to contain a highly viscous material such asgrease. Positioned within bag and with a portion thereof extendingexteriorly of the receptacle 2 is a pump 12. Pump 12 enters receptacle 2through opening 14 in cover plate 4 and seats upon recessed portion 16of cover plate 4. Pump 12, a conventional positive displacement pump, isprovided with a suction stub 18 having inlets 20 and 22 adjacent thesuction end thereof. Longitudinally disposed within suction stub 18 is apiston having a piston rod 24 and a piston head 26 containing a checkvalve 28. Adjacent inlets and 22 of suction stub 18 and xedly attachedthereto is a cylinder base 30' having check valve 32. Piston rod 24extends upwardly through the pump housing and can be reciprocated byhand or by suitable mechanical, electrical, pneumatic, or hydraulicmeans. Located adjacent the upper end of the pump housing is fluiddischarge line 34.

Longitudinally disposed about suction stub 18 along substantially itsentire length and having aninner diam- 2,859,899 Patented Nov. l1.,19.5.(8

2 eter slightly greater than the outer diameter of the suc# tion stub isa perforated tubing 36 having openings 38 in the wall thereof. Openings38 should be made of 4a size that will permit free ow of fluidtherethrough. The size of the openings will depend on many variables.For example, the minimum size of the individual openings will depend onsuch variables as yield-shear stress of the fluid, flow behavior of thecontained iluid, the desired pump delivery, the number of holes in thetube, etc. The maximum size of the openings will depend upon suchfactors as strength of the bag (shear Vor rupture strength), thestrength of the perforated tubing, etc. Thus, in the case of grease ofmedium consistency, the openings can have a diameter of about 0.100inch, preferably in excess thereof, for example from about 0.250 toabout 0.500 inch. Adjacent the top of perforated tubing 3.6, above theopenings 38, and disposed in an inner groove` of the tubing is pressureseal or ring 40. Ring 40 is, in normal operation of the dispensingapparatus, in abutting relationship with suction stub 18 of the Vpumpand forms a seal tight arrangement therewith. Adjacent the topthereof,gperforated tubing 36 is provided with a horizontal adapterplate 42 which is soldered, welded or brazed thereto. The open end ofbag 10 is provided with lower and upper clamp rings 44 and 46,respectively,

which are securely held in place by one or more studs 48 and nuts 50.These rings provide a rigid support for the open end of bag 10'. Studs4S are extended and project upwardly through adapter plate 42 to receivenuts 52. In this way the perforated tubing, through its adapter plate42, can be ixedly 'attachedV to the bag 10.

Operation of the dispensing apparatus shown in Figure 1 will beexplained. It will be assumed that the bag 10 is lled with a highlyviscous or plastic medium such as grease, the pump mechanism is in placeas shown in Figure l, and the bag 10 is sealed at its open end to thepump mechanism. When the piston is initially moved downwardly valve 28will open and valve 32 -will be closed. On the upstroke, however, valve32 will open and valve 23 will close. On this stroke, a 10W-pressurearea is created in chamber 54 defined by the piston head 26 and cylinderbase 30 and the grease will flow from the interior of bag 10 throughopenings 38 in perforated tubing 36, downwardly through annulus 56defined by the inner diameter of perforated tubing 36 and the outerdiameter of suction stub 18, and then upwardly through inlets 20 and 22and valve 32 into chamber 54. When the piston head is moved downwardlyagain, the valves will assume the same position as on the initialdownward a stroke and grease will move upwardly'from chamber 54 throughvalve 23 into chamber 58. On the nextV upstroke of the piston, greasewill flow into chamber 54 as before and that in chamber 53 will flowoutwardly through outlet line 34 to the desired location.

As previously noted, air vent 8 is open to the atmosphere and thereforethe outside of the bag 10 is always under atmospheric pressure. Themovement of grease from the bag through openings 38, annulus 56, inlets20 and 22 into chamber 54 upon movement of the piston had also beennoted. When this occurs, the pressure inside bag 10 is less thanatmospheric and therefore a pressure differential exists between theinside and the outside of the bag. The force `thereby applied to the bagis equal substantially to the outside area of the bag times thispressure differential. The bag therefore tends to collapse toward thesuction stub and move the grease in the direction of the suction stub ofthe pump. As grease is removed from the bag by the pump, the bag tendsto collapse against perforated tubing 36, and not against the suctionstub, at which time substantially all of the grease has been removedtherefrom. Since the perforated tubing is perforated4 throughoutsubstantially its entire lengthJ the bag, or any portion of it, isincapable of moving against any portion of the suction stub creatingpockets of grease which cannot reach the inlets 2t) and 2,2of theVsuction stub. Since the perforated tubing is made of a material, Vsuch`as steel, which will not collapse as Aa result of the-pressuredifferential created in removal @fl vfluid from the bag lf3, annulus 56is kept open at all times for the desired movement of uid to inlets 20and 2,2u of the suction stub. To prevent bag it) from collapsing againstinlet 20 of the suction stub and hindering movement of fluid into thesuction stub, a perforated screen 6,0 can be attached to the lower endof the perforated. tubing Y3S.-

`In addition to preventing collapsey of bag against suction stub 1S andthereby forming pockets of grease which cannot communicate with inlets2@ and 22 Vof suction stub 18, perforated tubing 36 serves an additionalfunction. When the Huid being dispensed by the present apparatus is ahighly viscous and thixotropic fluid such as grease, movement of greasethrough openings 38 and through annulus 56 serves to work the same andreduce the viscosity thereof. Movement of the grease is therebyfacilitated.

While the assembly of the device shown in Figure 1 can be effected atvarious times, one convenient assembly can be described. A user issupplied withra receptacle 2 in which is placed a bag 10 filled withgrease. The bag is provided with clamp rings 44 and 46 held in place tothe bag by means of studs 48 and nuts Si). Superimposed upon clamp ring46 is a solid plate attached thereto by. means of studs 48 and nuts 50.In place of cover plate 4. a solid cover plate would be provided. Theuser would remove the solid cover plate from the receptacle .andthereafter the solid plate attached to the clamp ring 46. Perforatedtubing 56 would next be inserted into the grease and adapter plate 42would be fixed to the bag by means of the cover plates 44 and i6 andaccompanying studs 48. Lastly the pump mechanism would be put in placeand the suction stub inserted in perforated tubing 36. The operationdescribed could then be started. When substantially all the grease hasbeen removed from the bag, the bag can be removed from the pumpmechanism and discarded. Another bag substantially full of grease couldthen be put in its place and the operation described could be continued.The receptacle 2 would not require cleaning after each operation, andthe grease is at all times free from contamination. Since air is at notime in contact with the grease while it is in the bag, oxidation of thegrease would thereby be prevented.

While the embodiment illustrated in Figure l and describedherein indetail is satisfactory and in some cases preferred, it is understoodthat we do not intend to be Y limited thereby and that such embodimentcan be modified Without departing from the scope of the invention. Thus,the pumping means shown can be replaced with any conventional positivedisplacement pump means provided the suction stub of the pump issurrounded by a perforated tubing as shown and the interior of the pumpmechanism is sealed from entry of fluid such as air during the operationthereof. Thus, the attachment of the bag, the perforated tubing and thesuction stub of the pump, one to the other, can be varied as desired aslong as means are provided for insertion of the pump mechanism into thebag, a perforated tubing is displaced about the suction stub ofthe pump,and. means are provided for sealing-the bag to the pump mechanism.

Thus, as can .be seen in Figure 2, bag i@ can be sealed to the suctionvstub 18 of the pump by means of clamp 62 and perforated tubing 36 canbe fixedly attached, as yby .screw attachment, to suction stub 18. Or,as illustrated inv Figure -3, instead of sealing bag lil to suctionstub-18, it can be -sealed instead to the upper end of perforated tubingY36.

While it is preferred to maintain air vent 8 open to the atmosphere andoperate only with the pressure diffe ential occurring between it randthat inside bag 10, it is understood that in small containers', air vent8 could be sealed and that portion of the 'bag between it and thereceptacle maintained under superatmospheric pressure. However, sincethe pressure differential employing atmospheric pressure is generallysufficient to cause collapse of the bag llt) and since such operationpermits the use of a rigid receptacle `of relatively light material,because both sides of the receptacle would be under the same pressure,operation at atmospheric pressure is preferred.

Obviously, many modifications and variations of the invention, ashereinabove set forth, can be made without departing from the spirit andscope thereof, and therefore only such limitations should be imposed, asare indicated in the appended claims.

We claim:

1. In combination, a closed receptacle provided with an opening in awall thereof, a collapsible bag having an opening disposed in saidreceptacle, suction means communicating from the exterior of saidreceptacle through said opening of said bag and into the interior ofsaid bag, and means sealing said opening of said bag to said suctionmeans.

2. In combination, a closed receptacle provided with an opening in awall thereof, a collapsible bag having an opening disposed in saidreceptacle, suction means cornmunicating from the exterior of saidreceptacle through said opening of said bag and into the interior ofsaid bag, said suction means comprising a longitudinally disposedsuction stub and a perforated tube longitudinally disposed about saidsuction stub and spaced a distance therefrom, and means sealing saidopening of said bag to said suction means.

3. In combination, a closed receptacle provided with an opening in awall thereof, av collapsible bag having an opening disposed in saidreceptacle, suction means communicating from the exterior of saidreceptacle through said opening of` said bag and into the interior ofsaid bag, said suction means comprising a longitudinally disposedsuction stub and a perforated tube longitudinally disposed about saidsuction stub and spaced av distance therefrom, positive displacementpump means disposed in said suction stub, and means sealing said openingof said bag to said suction means.

4. ln combination, a closed receptacle provided with an opening in awall thereof, a collapsible bag having an opening disposed in saidreceptacle, a perforated tube longitudinally disposed in said bag, meanssealing said opening of said bag to said perforated tube, a pump mountedexteriorly of said receptacle having a suction stub extending into saidperforated tube and disposed a distance away therefrom, means adjacentthe entry of said suction stub into said perforated tube providing aseal between said perforated tube and said suction stub, and positivedisplacement pump means disposed in said suction stub.

5. In combination, a closed receptacle provided with an opening in awall thereof, a collapsible bag havingan opening disposed in saidreceptacle, pump mechanism communicating from the exterior of saidreceptacle through said opening of said bag and into the interior ofsaid bag, the portion of said pump Imechanism with said bag comprising asuction stub, positive displacement pump means longitudinally disposedwithin said suction stub, perforated tubing extending longitudinallyabout said suction stub and spaceda distance theerfrom, said perforatedtubing extending longitudinally away from said suction stub, and meanssealing said opening of said bag to said portion of said pump mechanismwithin said bag.

6. In combination, a closed receptacle provided with an opening in awall thereof, a collapsible bag having an opening disposed in saidreceptacle, at least one clamp ring provided about said Vopening-of saidnbag and iixedly attached thereto, a perforated tube longitudinallydisposed within said bag, means sealing the upper end of said perforatedtube to said clamp ring, a pump mounted exteriorly of said receptaclehaving a suction stub extending into said perforated tube and disposed adistance away therefrom, means adjacent the entry of said suction stubinto said perforated tube providing a seal between said perforated tubeand said suction stub, and positive displacement pump means disposed insaid suction stub.

7. In combination, a closed receptacle provided with an opening in awall thereof, a collapsible bag having an opening disposed in saidreceptacle, suction means communicating from the exterior of saidreceptacle through said opening of said bag and into the interior ofsaid 6 bag, said suction means comprising a longitudinally disposedsuction stub and means longitudinally disposed about said suction stuband coextensive therewith in the path of movement of said bag uponcollapse thereof barring contact of said bag with said suction stub, andmeans sealing said opening of said bag to said suction means.

References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS1,628,834 Frank May 17, 1927 1,996,792 Bystricky et al.` Apr. 9, 19352,671,578 McBean Mar. 9, 1954 2,673,013 Hester Mar. 23, 1954

